"Special consultant transferred from K County?" Ye Jinchen asked straightforwardly.

"Yes!" Sang Tong wasn’t surprised by his question. Someone had already verified her identity earlier, so it was no surprise her "life-saving benefactor" now knew who she was.

Truthfully, she felt a little embarrassed—being kidnapped by a criminal the day before starting her job wasn’t exactly a proud moment.

"Then that’s settled. Come with me." Since she was already here, he had no choice but to take her along. He figured he should at least find out what made her so special that even Deputy Director Chen had personally made introductions.

But... Unit Team 8 handled homicide cases. Encountering ruthless criminals was a regular occurrence. Just judging by her physical build, Ye Jinchen didn’t think she was suited for Unit Team 8.

“Huh?” Sang Tong blinked, not quite understanding.

"Welcome to Special Investigation Unit Group 8. From now on, you’re one of my team members. I’ll take you to the dorms first to drop off your things," Ye Jinchen said briefly, glancing at the pink suitcase by her side.

Sang Tong: …

This damned fate, what you fear most always finds a way to come true.

Sang Tong followed Ye Jinchen out of the reception room. Her eyes drifted to his shoulder, where a white bandage was still visible. She had wanted to ask something, but seeing his tall, composed figure walking ahead, she stayed silent.

In just a few hours, her “life-saving benefactor” had become her team captain. Why didn’t that feel exciting at all?

The dorm building was just behind the police station’s office tower, about a five-minute walk.

Ye Jincheng walked ahead, the rolling of suitcase wheels sounding behind him. When he looked back, he saw a small figure carrying a backpack and dragging her suitcase. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat, and as she neared, he could even see the fluffy crown of her head.

He looked away and pulled out his badge to unlock the dorm’s front door.

Sang Tong followed him inside, immediately feeling a cool breeze wash over her. She had to admit, Province A was way hotter than her old hometown. It wasn’t until she stepped inside that she finally felt some relief.

"Everyone in Unit Team 8 stays on the third floor," Ye Jincheng said.

Sang Tong nodded and followed him up the stairs. The dorm building only had five floors and no elevator, so they had to walk up.

After just a few steps, as they turned the corner on the first floor, Ye Jincheng glanced sideways and saw Sang Tong struggling up the stairs with her suitcase. Likely because of its weight, she was gripping the handle with both hands and climbing with effort.

He looked at her slender arms, his expression a bit complicated—looked like he really did get saddled with a little princess.

Sang Tong didn’t actually think it was too bad. The third floor wasn’t a problem. Back in her county dorm, she had to climb to the fourth floor daily. She was used to it.

Suddenly, the weight in her hand lightened. She turned to see the man who had been walking ahead now back by her side, one hand on her suitcase.

"I’ll help you," he said calmly.

Sang Tong wanted to refuse, but after a moment’s thought, she said, "Thank you."

Ye Jincheng responded with a brief nod and took the suitcase from her. He had assumed it wouldn’t be that heavy—it was just a girl’s luggage, after all—but once the full weight dropped into his hand, even he staggered a bit.

His expression turned odd as he looked at her. What had she packed in here, bricks? Still, he didn’t say anything out loud.

“Oh! Right, your arm’s still injured—maybe I should carry it myself!” Sang Tong suddenly remembered and reached out to take it back.

“It’s fine. Let’s go,” Ye Jincheng said, walking upstairs with her suitcase.

Sang Tong had no choice but to hurry after him. Though this team captain looked cold, he seemed like a genuinely good person.

Still… she just couldn’t bring herself to smile. Damn those future fragments, she was really struggling to keep it together.

The conditions at the Special Investigation Unit Team 8 weren’t bad—team members shared rooms two by two. But since Team 8 had never had a female colleague before, Sang Tong was given a single room.

“I live across the hall. If you need anything, just call me,” Ye Jinchen said as he helped Sang Tong place her luggage down.

“Alright, thank you, Captain,” Sang Tong replied with a smile on her face, though inwardly she was screaming, could she please live as far away from him as possible?!

Ye Jinchen gave her a few more instructions, then left after receiving a phone call.

The moment the door shut behind him, Sang Tong’s smile collapsed. She let out a sigh while standing in the middle of the dorm room. Her new life hadn’t even started yet, and she could already tell—it was going to be a mess.

Sang Tong had just finished unpacking when she checked the time. It was a little past 4 PM, and the cafeteria hadn’t opened yet. She decided to take a walk outside to familiarize herself with the area and grab something to eat.

But just as she opened the door, she saw someone coming out from the room across the hall. He had changed into a black t-shirt and pants. Unlike the composed, professional image he had while wearing his uniform, he now gave off a much more untamed aura.

The shirt fit snugly, outlining his muscular build. She only took a quick glance before looking away, her ears heating up.

Unbidden, the earlier image she had seen flashed in her mind. Sang Tong’s expression turned complicated… Damn it, the man was dangerously attractive.

Ye Jinchen glanced at her briefly, then paused for a second before his expression returned to normal.

“…Alright, I got it,” he said into the phone, then hung up, frowning as he looked at Sang Tong. His emotions seemed a little complicated.

“Captain, is there a mission?” Sang Tong, who had worked for over a year now, could pick up on subtle cues.

“Yeah. You’re coming too,” Ye Jinchen replied.

He hadn’t originally planned on bringing her—she had just arrived today, after all—and he still had some doubts about her capabilities.

But… he wasn’t the type of team leader who played favorites or discriminated.

“Okay!” Sang Tong’s heart leapt.

Back at her old county post, she hadn’t been allowed on any fieldwork during her first month. She understood, she was a newcomer and lacked credibility.

And after what happened at the train station today, she honestly thought she’d be benched for a while. She hadn’t expected to be assigned a mission on her very first day!

Being transferred directly from the county to the provincial team was almost unheard of, Sang Tong was an exception. So naturally, she was highly motivated.

All she cared about was results! As for any strange, distracting thoughts—get out of her head already!

̶̶̶̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶

Suburban Outskirts.

A few police cars were parked by a desolate dirt road, but there were no barricade tapes in place yet, it must still be a ways from the actual scene.

“Captain Ye, you’re here.” The person waiting at the roadside finally relaxed a little upon seeing him step out of the car.

“Where’s the scene?” Ye Jinchen asked.

“It’s a bit further in. The location is remote, and we’ll need to walk a dirt path,” the man explained.

Ye Jinchen nodded and motioned for him to lead the way.

Sang Tong also got out of the car and silently followed behind the two men.

As the man briefed Ye Jinchen on the situation, Sang Tong quietly listened from behind.

After walking a while, Ye Jinchen suddenly turned his head to glance back—as if remembering something. The young woman was obediently trailing behind, and he relaxed, shifting his gaze back to the front.

He continued listening as they walked…

After about ten minutes, they finally saw the bright yellow police tape—Sang Tong knew they must be getting close to the crime scene.

Ye Jinchen came to a stop, and Sang Tong also halted in her tracks.

“Catch,” he said suddenly.

Instinctively, Sang Tong reached out—and found a pair of gloves now in her hand.

The person who had originally been speaking with Ye Jinchen only then noticed there was someone else behind him, a young girl who looked like a student. She was dressed in a white T-shirt, jeans, and small white sneakers.

“Wait… where did you pick up a high schooler?” the man asked in confusion.

“Hello, I’m Sang Tong. I’m a new transfer from K County,” Sang Tong explained earnestly.

The man didn’t seem fully convinced and glanced at Ye Jinchen for confirmation.

“Yeah,” Ye Jinchen replied lightly.

The man was momentarily surprised, then quickly smiled. “Nice to meet you. I’m Xu Ran, a member of Team 8.”

At that moment, his emotions were a bit complicated. This new team member… looked way too young!

Normally, someone like that wouldn’t even get past the team’s standards. Team 8 was notoriously strict about recruitment, especially with someone like Ye Jinchen, the “god of death,” on the squad. Interns usually avoided Team 8 entirely…

Thinking back to how Deputy Director Chen had specifically come to the office that afternoon, Xu Ran suddenly understood—looks like higher-ups had sent a little VIP over this time…

Still, the captain sure didn’t waste time—bringing her straight to the crime scene? Wasn’t he afraid of scaring her? A few of the interns from Team 6 had gone to a scene recently and ended up vomiting for days afterward…

“Let’s go check out the scene,” Ye Jinchen said.

Xu Ran collected himself and followed Ye Jinchen under the police tape and through.

They had barely taken a few steps when Sang Tong caught a strong whiff of something unpleasant. Ye Jinchen glanced sideways at her frowning face and said, “You’ll get used to it, just bear with it for now.”

“I’m fine,” Sang Tong replied. She wasn’t that fragile. She had been to scenes back in her county before. It was just that, even when used to it, the smell was still unpleasant.

The rural path wasn’t often used—it was overgrown with weeds and thorns, though now a narrow passage had been cleared.

They were surrounded by cornfields. In another month, the corn would be ready for harvest. Right now, it was at peak growth. The stalks stood taller than a person and blocked most of the view.

Corn leaves were sharp. One of them scraped Sang Tong’s face without her noticing at first. She winced and let out a “tss” sound. Ye Jinchen turned around to look at her. She quickly quieted down, only breathing out in relief once he turned back.

She rubbed her face with her arm—no blood, so it probably didn’t break the skin. Just itchy.

Learning from the experience, Sang Tong started parting the leaves with her hands as she walked. It helped a lot. After a few steps, she looked up and saw Ye Jinchen snapping off a stalk that had been brushing too close.

So it wasn’t just her finding them prickly, Sang Tong thought.

When they finally emerged from the dense cornfield, Sang Tong let out a breath of relief.

Ye Jinchen glanced at her again. Her porcelain-white face was now flushed with heat, and a bright red scratch stood out on her cheek—thin, but strikingly visible.

Ye Jinchen raised an eyebrow.